Happy Cinco de Mayo!

There's not much I love more than Mexican food, so the idea of a day established to celebrate that culture and cuisine, sounds awesome to me. Then the questions arises, if I go out tonight, how do I make it an experience I do not regret tomorrow? Avoiding margaritas and chips with salsa is not an option, I'm sorry.

I was reading the Biggest Loser website last night on how to survive eating out at restaurants. I was dismayed when they suggested avoiding the chips and basically any tortillas. Their solution for everything seems to be "make it into a salad." They even recommended avoiding guacamole! Again, not an option for me. And avocado is so good for you!

I do not have any magic solutions, but I do have some tips. I have not decided yet if I will follow these because Cinco de Mayo is only once a year, after all. However, it is easy to justify a reason to overdo it any day of the week, I've found. I need to mentally prepare myself for it being my sole responsbility to moderate myself. My husband seems to have an innate ability to be moderate with food, and on the off chance that he is not on this particular day, it will not have the least affect on his waistline or self esteem.

First of all, decide prior to going, whether it will be a one or two margarita kind of night. It is much easier to order a second after the first one has already made it's way through your brain. Deciding ahead of time can take the responsibility off your somewhat-alcohol-muddled mind. If they automatically bring out chips, decide how many you will eat and put them on your plate. It is too easy to mindlessly go back to the basket chip after chip. While you're eating them, try to pay attention to the taste and the enjoyment they give. Take breaks between the chips, sip your drink, breathe deeply. Check in with yourself a few times while eating. Are you breathing at a normal rate? Are you scarfing or savoring the food?

When you get your entree, it may be a good idea to put half of it in a to-go box right away. Chances are, you're not starving by this point because of the chips and margarita. You could save this food for lunch tomorrow or even a snack later. It is better to split up meals into smaller portions as opposed to gorging yourself. When I am eating Mexican food, I try to avoid eating every last piece of tortilla and if there's a side of rice, I usually avoid it. At least in my opinion, the cheesy beans, guacamole, and salsa are the best parts. Decide for yourself, what are your priority foods and how do you best enjoy them? Have fun!